More than Writers

  I don’t know about you, but I loathe running. The only time I run is to catch a bus, which is why I don’t use public transport. Once I have been for a run, it’s a different matter. I almost convince myself how much I enjoyed it. Especially if I manage to do it on a treadmill whilst listening to a podcast. It’s the same with getting fit. I love the idea of being fitter. I love my online exercise programme once I have had a shower. Unless I have an aim, a reason to do something about the fact that walking to my car makes me out of breath. I should work out and get fitter. Tomorrow. Writing can be a bit like that. It’s why I love NaNoWriMo. (anyone else signed up for Bobbie’s Facebook group?) It gives me an aim, a reason to sit down and bash away at my story. I love my stories, writing is a wonderful place to be. But that is once I sit down, open up my laptop and type, Chapter... That’s where the fun starts for me. My goal is to reach the end of the story. That is a goal I don’t e

Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. One thing I love about flash fiction writing is because such a short form calls out for the stories to be character led, I can set them wherever and whenever I want. This is because I simply don’t have the word count room for lots of description so I must set the scene quickly and I often use the characters themselves to show a reader the setting.    I’ve written flash as historical flash, crime tales, ghost stories and so on and I thought I’d share a few definitions of genre types. Fantasy - set in a world far, far away. Lots of monsters. Characters will be sent on a quest. There will be snow. There will be giant spiders. Magic is both a pain and a deliverance.  Wiser characters will never despise the “old crone” or the “old man” because they always turn out to be powerful magical characters in disguise. Women with spinning wheels should be distrusted.  And never eat or drink anything which has a sign next to it encour

Picture: Credit Pixabay free image The sparrows feed the blackbirds? Yes! It’s true. But before I explain, I’ll admit to this post being something of an experiment.  The experiment is designed to test a simple hypothesis: whether a cryptic headline will promote a blogpost on an authors’ website to an expanded audience. The thinking behind this question had two ‘roots’. First there was the observational element which surprised me, so I hope it will provoke some straightforward curiosity. Second, I hope that I might attract some interest from relatively inexperienced bird-watchers who are not yet at the stage when they will immediately relate to the scenario that drives the headline. It would be hugely helpful if readers who fall into either of these categories could identify themselves in the comments. That might help other authors as well as me to look even more keenly at those little quirks of everyday life that will seize the imagination of new readers. Of course, those new readers m

When we  are in pain, the least thing we want is clichés.  There is something in our deepest inner selves that longs for authenticity and empathy; to know that someone, even God, is walking that walk with me; that I am not alone.  Somehow then, I can find hope. I have found such hope, authenticity and empathy in Penelope Swithinbank's new devotional, 'Scent of Water; Words of Comfort in Times of Grief;' soon to be published by Malcolm Down Publishing on the 2nd July. This evocative title is taken from Job 14:7-9 'There is hope for a tree when it is cut down. Merely a scent of water will make it sprout.' (GWT) I have read many devotionals and love them as an aid to my worship and quiet times. But this particular one has moved me profoundly as it is so real. I was caught immediately by the title and verse on the opening pages. I wasn't familiar with the verse and it really made me pause, think and feel.  It is a devastating thing for a tree to be cut down before i

  Photo by  Hu Chen  on  Unsplash I’m writing this on a Saturday afternoon, sitting in my conservatory, looking out at my very long grass and thinking (admittedly with some relief) that it’s too wet to mow. I’m now tying up all the loose ends before a much-needed week off, and by the time this post is published I will hopefully be feeling super chilled and very rested after a few days at the coast. For now, though, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks workwise – and the fact that I’m sitting at my computer at all on a Saturday afternoon is testament to that! Anyhow, I hope you will indulge another blog briefly featuring our hero, John, as he seeks to get to grips with all things grammar. Today, the dangler… Danglers ‘The what?’ I hear you ask. The dangler, or the dangling modifier, is one of my favourites. It’s simply where the modifying clause at the start of the sentence doesn’t connect with the second half of the sentence, and is left hanging. Usually, we know what’s meant, so

I've just passed my three year milestone on the blog. What a privilege! There is a full set, apart from Feb '19 when I was going through a mega stressful time trying to access residential care for my 97-year-old Mum. When Wendy took the risk of offering me a slot it felt like a BIG challenge. In awe of the quality contributions and writing credentials of others, I knew I'd have to hit the ground galloping. What if ideas failed me ..... if I couldn't hit deadlines ..... if nobody wanted to read ..... if technology defeated me ..... ? Then there was the generous dose of imposter syndrome that I finally owned up to in my April blog this year. People were bound to see through me! But Wendy encouraged me to have a go, taking me by the hand, guiding me through the technicalities and outlining the brief: ' write about writing, reading and/or Christianity in 500 words.' Now Wendy has handed over to Rosemary and guidelines for contributions have recently come under fier

The race against time. Perhaps one of the most popular and universal story motifs. Can Phileas Fogg get back to London before the eighty day deadline is up? Can Frodo destroy the Ring before Sauron works out what the West is up to? The tension grows, the reader’s heart beats faster. Very often it is elaborated by extra delays: the ship runs out of coal so they feed its woodwork to the boilers; the orcs capture Frodo and Sam is locked out.  We see this also in the real world: we are indeed living in a race against time. Can the whole world agree to limit carbon emissions before climate catastrophe destroys civilized life? Can we save the world from covid in time to get back to tackling the climate crisis? Can the agents of freedom prevent a takeover by reactionary forces who value neither world health nor the environment? It’s an exciting time to be alive, if you can stay alive. For me, as a a writer, it’s not quite as dramatic. What I’ve found, and you may have had a similar experience

  The Writing Process: Taking the Plunge by Rebecca Seaton   So you want to be a writer? Maybe it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a while. You’re likely an avid reader and may have scraps of ideas you’ve been turning over in your mind. But   something’s shifted, the ‘Could I?’ that’s been at the back of your mind is at the forefront now. One of the things that might concern you is how to get ideas. Inspiration is all around you. Think back over funny stories or events you’ve retold. Or what about when someone told you something? What sticks out? When you hear or see something interesting, start thinking ‘What if…?’ and playing with ideas. The next step is to do something with those ideas. They might only exist in your head at this stage or you might have things spread across random notebooks or whatever’s at hand. Silence the doubts. It’s easy to find reasons not to start. This is natural when taking a new step but stop any blockages before they become insurmountable. Wr

  Photo by  AbsolutVision  on  Unsplash At my birthday dinner with family, my mum cut up my food for me. I was not two, or three, or four….I was, um, considerably older than that. Three days before my birthday, I underwent surgery which left my hand so weak I could not hold a fork. Actually, I could not hold anything. Not even a tissue. Waking up from surgery, I said: ‘well that’s it then. I’ve lost my hand.’ I texted friends (with my good hand) to let them know how things had gone, aiming – fairly unsuccessfully, admittedly - to be a little more positive: Surgeon says surgery went well, and strength will return, BUT RIGHT NOW I CAN’T USE MY HAND. Strength is now returning (the surgeon was right!), but at the time ‘I CAN’T USE MY HAND’ summed it up. Despite the surgeon’s words, all I could focus on was what I couldn’t do. I’d like to share a couple of replies I had to my text. Both are from friends with whom I’d had to cancel meals out (the surgery was unexpected); both t

"Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'" Joshua 3:5  Everyone hoped that from today masks and social distancing would be no more as life steadily returns to normal within our land.   Who would have believed we’d have to book a seat in church, not be allowed to sing, or talk to others in the congregation?     We certainly have never passed this way before!  Yet, just as the Lord provided for the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sin, He provided us with the internet which has been a lifeline in numerous ways.   And, with an uncertain future, we have learnt to depend more upon Him and our belief He is using this time to draw people to Himself.   We have also experienced as God's people creative gifts, unseen talents and abilities released, along with incredible advances in many different fields.  God's Word says when we invest in His Kingdom we will reap an abundant harvest.  In this last deca